I don't think he was dehydrated but I think it's self evident that the training camp would have been geared more compeletely towards making the weight as opposed to preparing the fighter for the fight. They are not one and the same and it does represent a disadvantage.

Good, logical post. Randy Shields wrote a pre-fight article for KO about this fight, having taken on both (and given them trouble). He felt Tommy would outbox Ray, something most disagreed on before the fight, and that Leonard would produce a late rally to stop Hearns as his stamina was in question (it never would be his strong point of course) and that the final quarter of the fight would be all Leonard. He was spot on.